xvii, 458 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : 25 cm

"This authoritative history of the newspaper press in London, from its earliest days through to the relaunch of The Guardian last year, tells a fascinating story. From the 'newsbooks' of the English Civil War period, and rigorously state-controlled newspapers (such as the London Gazette) launched afterwards, the newspaper industry has adapted and survived to 'give the readers what they want'." "Griffiths shows how political and commercial opportunism, technological advances, price wars, the race to be first with news, the influence of editors, great feature writers, gossip columnists, advertising campaigns, the invention of the cartoon strip and cross-words, the power of the Press Barons - and then the breaking of the power of the unions - have all contributed to the 500-year story."--Jacket

Published to accompany the exhibition 'The Front Page' held at the British Library in Spring 2006

Includes bibliographical references (pages 434-444) and index

1. Printing comes to Fleet Street -- 2. The first daily newspaper -- 3. Launching The Times -- 4. Plant here The Standard -- 5. 'Taxes on knowledge' repealed -- 6. The new journalism -- 7. The greatest hustler -- 8. Dalziel entrepreneur -- 9. Enter Max Aitken -- 10. Brothers from Wales -- 11. The general strike -- 12. Burnham sells the Telegraph -- 13. Prerogative of the harlot -- 14. Fleet Street at war -- 15. Shortage of newsprint -- 16. Press council proposed -- 17. The Mirror triumphant -- 18. Death of Beaverbrook -- 19. The road to Wapping -- 20. Towards the millennium -- 21. The electronic future

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